It just fits: Petite clothing

For many petite women, finding clothes to fit can be a hassle, so if you fall into the ‘petite’ category of woman, how do you find the clothes to best fit you?

Step one: don’t panic. Millions of British women fall into the petite clothing sphere, which is good news — it means that thousands of shops and companies cater for the petite woman’s needs.

Step two: enjoy cheaper shoes. In today’s prematurely mature society, kids are growing up fast — which means fashion trends need to keep up with them. And that means that children’s shoes can have great designs while costing less than adult shoes. It’s often the case that petite women have smaller feet — so you can grab yourself a bargain without anybody being any the wiser.

Shopping for petite clothing is exactly the same as shopping for ‘normal’ clothing. It’s largely trial and error, and that fantastic blouse that looked great on the rail just might not cut it for you. The number one rule to avoid returning items is the simple undertaking of trying things on. If you try it on before purchasing it, you’ll know how it looks beforehand and it’ll save any nasty surprises once you get home in front of your own mirror.

Just because clothes are designed for petite women doesn’t mean everything will suit your figure. Like all clothing ranges, every brand, style and company uses different patterns and measurements for their clothes. This means that a size 12 in one shop could be a size 10 in another. It could also mean that a size 10 in the same shop could be a 14 in the same shop, but from a different brand.

The only way you’re going to know is to try it on.

However, many women enjoy the process — and even if you don’t, it’s probably the case if you find a brand/company whose clothing fits and suits you, you’ll be able to comfortably buy new clothes from them in future without worrying that the sizing has changed. That said, it is advisable to take a few minutes now to save wasted time down the line if you really aren’t keen on your purchases.

You can get every type of clothing in the petite women’s range, from underwear through trousers to maternity wear. Britain isn’t an immensely tall country; ‘petite’ typically applies to women of 5’3″ or less. To put that into perspective, the average height of British women, according to the Guardian is just under 5’4″ — so you really don’t have to miss the mark by much to fall into the petite category.

Fashion is absolutely not held back for petite clothing fans and in most shops on the high street you’ll walk into find whole sections dedicated to petite clothing; you can also shop online through worlds of different options. A petite size shouldn’t be an issue — particularly in a country where the average height is just an inch above it.

So go forth and shop, embrace your size — and don’t forget to try things on!

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.